Rose Evaine
by Teacup42
Summary: Evaine. Emilia. How the two became LeBlanc, the Matron of the Black Rose. Character background story.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"You always did look better in finery."

Swain turned around, the pieces of his armor clashing against each other. He furrowed his eyebrows for a second, just enough time to register the voice. A small sigh escape his lips as he loosened the grip on his cane. He had ordered everyone to refrain from disturbing him until the time of the coronation. All would obey, from the servants who helped him put on the ceremonial garb, to the Hand of Noxus. Except her. She never did, and never will.

LeBlanc approached him, her usual elaborate headdress in place, and the magical staff resting in the crook of her arm. Yet instead of the gold-trimmed robe, she sported a sweeping purple dress layered with black feathers.

"Strange, but so fitting." She turned her head to the side. "But I suppose it would be rather impractical to wear during combat. You would hardly be able to move." She pointed towards the gold plating and the trimmings. "And stick out too much. Your usual green drab works much better."

Swain smirked at the assessment. _As if I had a choice in the matter_. "I assume you expect me to pay you the same compliments about your choice of attire?"

"Pfft." LeBlanc snorted. "Just a change for the celebratory occasion. Besides, I hardly get seen out in public. Might as well make a statement when I do." She walked to the side, pulling over a nearby chair. Having plopped down onto the velvet cushions, she looked towards Swain again. "At least Beatrice seems to approve." She gave a nod to the raven on Swain's shoulder, who had stayed silent throughout the exchange.

"I take it you have business to discuss, Matron?" Swain changed the subject. Normally he would enjoy the banter, the two circling each other with flattery and subtle implications, and sometimes dropping hints of truth, to see if more information could be garnered than the other was willing to give. But today was not the day for that. Besides, her carefree attitude unnerved him a bit. The difference was only slight compared to her usual eccentric self, but when it came to her, any subtle difference had to be noted.

"Not particularly." LeBlanc grabbed a teacup from a tray in front and poured the contents of the teapot next to it. She took a sip and then crinkled her nose in disgust. "Ugh. Rose tea." Pushing the cup away to the farthest corner of the tray, she instead picked at the pastries.

"Well Matron, _if _I had known you were coming to visit, I would have provided something more to your tastes."

LeBlanc looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Really Jericho, did you really not expect to see me today?"

"I…I suppose not." Swain sighed. _Of course, who am I trying to fool_.

Grinning, LeBlanc stood from the chair, and slowly took a step towards Swain. She raised her right hand to Beatrice, feeding the raven a biscuit. Beatrice flew to the side, giving the two space.

LeBlanc slid her hand over the tip of Swain's shoulder, grin still on her face. "So how does it feel? To have Noxus in your hands?" She turned, facing Swain from behind. "Having seen _Him_ take his last breath?"

Swain smiled as the thought speed through his mind. "It was glorious! All the years spent on getting our revenge…to see the last look on his face. The only regret I have is not making the end even more painful…" Swain composed himself, having relived the memory. "You must know. After all, you were there too."

"Indeed." LeBlanc inched closer, the ends of her ebony hair about to tease Swain's back. "But what to do," she leaned in, "since now it seems you're done."

"I'm far from done." Swain turned his head towards LeBlanc. _Done? Hardly. I've just started. _"I'll kill Jarvan IV, trample Demacia and its hypocritical beliefs and standards, and establish Noxus's reign over what should be ours by right."

"And?"

"Continue our conquest over Runeterra. Finally take over Ionia and any other area that would benefit Noxus."

"And?"

"Solidify Noxus as the most powerful city-state…" Swain stopped, cut short by the laughter from behind.

"Indeed Swain, you are done." LeBlanc continued laughing, until her lips hovered right next to his ear, close enough to slip a whisper. "Just wanted to make sure."

The two stayed still, as the silence sunk into the room. Swain resisted the urge to turn around and look her in the eye. An unfamiliar feeling welled up, threatening to rise out of his throat. _Fear? Confusion?_ _Guilt?_ _Loss?_ Whatever it was, he was not going to give her the satisfaction of finding out. _It's too late for that._

"Well it's time, we best get going." LeBlanc suddenly walked forward, heading towards the door leading to the hallway. "Being late to your own coronation is…"

"Evaine."

LeBlanc stopped. A moment passed before she spoke again, this time devoid of the sing-song tone.

"Dear Grand General, it is bad luck to utter the name of the dead on such a day."

Then without sparing a glance, she exited out the door. Swain took a moment to observe the moving form, memories spinning inside his head. He had expected some form of satisfaction, having caught her off guard, even for a slight moment. Yet empty. He just felt empty. _Evaine, you are… _

A weight on his shoulder woke him from his musings. Beatrice stared at him, having just perched itself on his shoulder again, prodding him to go on. Giving the raven a nod, Swain headed forward, following the Matron of the Black Rose out into the hallway.

_Perhaps in another time…_

* * *

A/N: Hi everyone, welcome to my first League of Legends fanfiction.

-This is a character background/development story about LeBlanc. There will be two storylines, one each for Evaine and Emilia, until the two converge to become LeBlanc in the league's timeline. Hence, the majority of the story will take place pre-league.

-A lot of the previous lore have become non-cannon (summoners, champion allegiance, etc.). I tried to stick as close to what was out there (league judgments, JOJ, etc.), but since much of it has been scrapped, I'll also be taking some liberties in interpretation. And if the reworked lore comes out and the background stories become completely different, I'll still try to continue the story.

-I know the secondary category is marked "Romance," but in reality there won't be much of it, at least not in a straightforward way. The relationships between the characters/champions, whether it be friendship, romance, or utter hatred, are rather...complicated. But there will be certain implications, hence the tag. I'll change the tag in the future if it no longer applies.

Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 1: Evaine

**Chapter 1: Evaine**

"Mistress Evaine, where are you? The Lady is calling."

Holding her breathe, Evaine looked down at the servant passing by. Her grip on the tree tightened, causing the leaves to rustle. She stopped herself from cursing, hoping that the servant did not notice.

The servant continued on, unaware of the sound or the movement, still calling out her name. Evaine listened until the voice could no longer be heard. After a brief moment, she climbed down the tree, clutching a book in one arm while trying her best not to step on her dress. Missing the last step, she fell to the ground in an ungraceful heap.

_Ugh. Always the last step. _Dusting off the dirt on her dress, she looked around to see if anyone spotted her. Realizing that no one was around, she gathered up her skirt and ran.

She smiled as a breeze swished past her face, the coolness a refreshing contrast to the stuffy air inside her room. Passing by rows of red rose bushes in full bloom, she paused to pick a single blossom, and fumbled to stick it near her ear before running off again.

A small white gate blocked her way, which she pushed open with ease, allowing her to leave the well-groomed garden into the unkempt sawgrass of the marshes. She continued running, hoisting up the ends of her dress to keep away from the mud, aware of the scolding she would receive if she soiled the garment again. _Then again, I'll probably be scolded anyway for running off. Please mother, nothing will happen to me. Nothing anything important happens here._

She stopped, having reached a small clearing near the stream, surrounded by groups of bunched up reeds. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she brushed away the locks of ebony hair that got tangled during the run, and took a seat in the middle of a pile of cut grass she had placed beforehand, facing the waters.

After wiggling around to get adjusted to the makeshift seating, Evaine grabbed the book she had been carrying, fingers tracing the outlines of a rose etched on the purple cover. _One of these days. _She opened the book, turning a few pages until coming to where she last left off. A small picture of a figure holding out what appeared to be colorful glass shards showed up, followed by pages and pages of text. _Another spell_. Evaine grinned as her eyes scanned the descriptions, the details of what the spell was, its uses, and how to cast it. Furrowing her eyebrows, she reread the first page over and over again, trying to get a better understanding of how to cast it. There were lengthy passages outlining the uses of the spell, but she choose to ignore them for the time being.

_I have to first learn how to cast it before trying to do anything with it. There's…not much that I can do right now. Most of the spells in this book I can't even try. But this one, maybe if I keep working on it…_

Pushing the book to the side, Evaine stood up. Stretching out her hand, she placed all her concentration on that one spot, letting all her thoughts and energy flow through her arms, into the small circle at the palm of her hand. In her mind, she started imagining the edges of the shards appearing, the slight yellow glow growing brighter…

Nothing.

Evaine took a long breathe, shook out the jitters in her arm, and tried again. _Concentrate Evaine, concentrate. Learn to focus your energy. At least get the image to appear_. Her eyes glared at the spot, as if to have the shards appear out of sheer will. Seeing that didn't work, she decided to switch arms, thinking that maybe she drained too much energy out of the first one.

Still nothing. Absolutely nothing.

She opened up the book again to see if she missed anything. _I'm doing exactly what the book tells me to do. Why can't I even get a small glimmer to appear? I know I shouldn't expect much, but…but…_

Tossing the book to the side, she stretched out her hand again. Again and again. Maybe if she kept on trying, something would eventually show up.

"Evaine, it's not going to work."

Interrupted by the sudden voice, Evaine stepped back, and turned towards the sound. A tiny figure with bouncy black curls popped out of the tall grass. The girl paused for a moment, and then stepped closer, seeing that Evaine wasn't responding.

"Um, you don't know how to do the magic thing the right way. Stop trying to do it on your own. Mother gets mad whenever you run away somewhere."

Evaine rolled her eyes. _Sisters_. "Rosaine, go back. I'll be there soon." Evaine patted the girl's head and then waved her away.

"No. Um, you say that all the time. Sun is going down already. We really need to go back." Rosaine pouted, her hands balling up into little fists.

"Wait, really?" Evaine looked up to find the once blue sky turned hazy orange. _I guess I did spend a lot of time on that spell. Going to have to try again next time. _Sighing, Evaine grabbed the book from the ground and dusted the dirt off the cover. "How did you find me here, anyway?"

"You, um, always come here. You're lucky I didn't tell anyone else yet."

"You better not." Evaine tucked the book under her arm and walked towards Rosaine. "If you do I'm going to tell father about the chocolate you keep taking from the trading goods."

"You wouldn't."

"You sure?"

"But…but…you took some too." Rosaine pointed an accusatory finger.

"But I got them from you. I didn't _know_ where they were from." Evaine smirked.

Rosaine kept pulsing her lips, unsure of how to respond. "Fine! I won't say anything." She gave in, stamping one foot to the ground.

Smiling, Evaine wrapped and arm around Rosaine's shoulders. "See? Look how easily we can agree on something. Now let's get going." The two then left the clearing, heading into the muddy sawgrass. The sun had moved to the other side, only a sliver of light falling from the sky. They kept quiet, maneuvering through the jumbled stalks of grass and other wildlife, careful not to step on some small animal. Then Rosaine broke the silence.

"Why do you keep trying?"

"Trying what?"

"Trying to um…do magic."

"Because I want to become a great mage someday. You've heard the stories too, right? And even if I can't be as great as the mages in those stories, maybe one day I'll be good as mother. Who knows, if I become as good as she was, then maybe I could go live in one of the big cities once I grow up."

"Like um, Noxus?"

"Yea, Noxus. That's where mother came from, right?"

"I think so."

"Right. So years from now on, I will be a great mage living in Noxus."

"Um yea…but don't you have to be good at it from the beginning?"

Evaine stopped, flashing a glare at Rosaine. Rosaine took a step away, with a hint of a nervous smile.

"Are you saying that I'm not good at this?"

"Well, um…um…I…"

"And how would you know?"

"Um…I…" Rosaine started to back away, step by step. "Mother once said that she finished a whole spell book by the time she was twelve."

"I'm not twelve yet. I still have time." Evaine placed a hand on her hips, staring down at her sister.

"A little less than a year. How are you going to finish that?" Rosaine pointed at the book. "The only 'magic' you know how to do is that hat trick. Even people on the road can do…Ouch!" Rosaine leapt away as Evaine pulled one of her curls.

"Only a hat trick? Once I'm done messing up that curly hair of yours it's going to look as bad as a bunch of coiled snakes. Then let's see if you want a hat or not."

"No, no stop…." Rosaine waved her hands back and forth, trying to keep Evaine at a distance. Seeing that it was no use, she knocked off the book from Evaine's arm, and ran.

"Hey, come back!" Having grabbed the book, Evaine ran after her sister, yelling at the top of her lungs. The grass caught onto the ends of her dress, roughing up the fabric. Evaine cursed silently as mud water splashed on her face, having accidentally run through a big puddle. _Just wait. Once I catch her I'll make her pay for all the scolding I'm going to get._

Spotting Rosaine, Evaine stopped to catch her breathe. She was about to yell, when she noticed Rosaine staring at the ground nearby. Rosaine stumbled backwards, green eyes opened wide. Evaine ran over and caught Rosaine by the shoulder to keep her from tripping onto the ground.

"Rosaine, are you okay?" Forgetting her anger for a moment, Evaine patted Rosaine on the head.

"Look…look Evaine. There's a…"

Evaine turned towards the area Rosaine pointed. A shout escaped her lips as she found what Rosaine was pointing at. Grass stretched over the ground, until it met fabric of a similar green color. A boy.

With his face flat onto the ground. Bloody red smearing into the green.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the very late update. I had written the chapter earlier, but then realized something new about the lore and had to figure out a way to include that in the story and edit the chapter accordingly. There are still some plot parts I need to figure out how to connect, but for the most part the planning is finished.

This chapter is a basic introduction of Evaine, and the next chapter will be about Emilia. I wanted the two story lines to have a starting point, so I chose to start from their childhood (although Emilia will be a little bit older than Evaine was in this chapter). Basically, the story will have two story lines, one each for Evaine and Emilia, until they "meet" and become one LeBlanc. There will also be a few time skips throughout the story (otherwise this would never end).

I know, this chapter was a bit on the short side, and the next one will be as well. But once the introductions are over, I'm going to try to write longer chapters.

Thank you for reading. Reviews, of course, are always appreciated. =)


	3. Chapter 2: Emilia

**Chapter 2: Emilia**

_Perhaps I was cursed from the beginning._

Emilia stood in front of the gold-trimmed cheval glass, looking into dark eyes staring back, gaze as cold as the mirror reflecting her form. Her fingers traced the ends of her ebony hair, the black contrasting against the white gold roses adorning the side of her head.

_As white as snow they say. Lips as red as blood._ _And as black as…_

Emilia smirked. _If only they knew how true it was._

She shifted back and forth, spreading out the ruffled skirts of her dress, the royal purple rippling with each wave of movement. The maids stood behind in silence, not daring to take a step forward, afraid of interrupting the moment.

"Is the Queen ready to see me?"

The maids took a step back, startled out of the elegant image. "Oh, your highness…I…I believe the Queen hasn't sent word yet." One of the maids put on a nervous smile. "But I'm sure she'll send word soon. She's probably busy with all the dignitaries seeking her audience. It is her birthday after all."

The corner of Emilia's lips twitched. She walked over to the gold-gilded vanity and sat on the matching ebony chair. "And she will not call for me. Just like her previous birthdays." Her hands went towards her hair, as she began to take out the rose combs one by one. "I believe this is no longer necessary."

The maids rushed to her side and fluttered around her. "Oh, but princess, you look so lovely. There's no need to undo all the preparations."

"I'm sure the Queen will call for your highness this time." The other chimed in. "In the meantime, would you like to meet some of the visitors? I'm sure they would love to have an audience with your highness. Word has spread throughout the kingdom of how much of a beautiful, stately, and elegant lady your highness is becoming."

_The fairest of them all._

"I would like to be alone." Emilia took out the last rose from her hair. She continued to stare forward, into the three gilded mirrors of the vanity in front of her, not paying mind to the two maids gesturing to each other. She continued ignoring them, until they bowed and took their leave.

After a few moments, Emilia breathed out a sigh. Her hand pulled the handle of a side drawer, revealing rows of small velvet containers. Taking them out, Emilia reached into a small gap in the wood, one small enough only for her nails, and pulled, revealing a false bottom. A book laid inside, a golden stitch of a tree decorating the black covers. Taking out the book, Emilia sighed again, and started turning its pages.

A gift. From her mother.

* * *

The two of them passed through the clearing in the forest, under the towering evergreen branches, listening to the twigs crunching under their feet. Emilia led the way with a basket in hand, as her guard followed a few steps behind. The gentle light peeking in from the sky revealed a few strands of silver from the guard's otherwise black hair, as his head turned towards the metal crossbow on his arm. Spotting a wild berry bush, Emilia headed over to it, and started picking the berries one by one. A trail of red trickled across her hand as a berry slipped through her fingers. The guard approached her, wanting to make certain the red was nothing more.

"Valin, what was my mother like?"

Valin handed her a handkerchief. "She was a wonderful queen, your highness. Always stately and regal, and concerned for her people.

Emilia wiped the juice from her hand, and then continued picking the berries. "Was she loved?"

Valin paused, until Emilia turned to face him. "Yes. Yes she was." He finished as Emilia's eyes met his.

"I see." She handed the handkerchief back to Valin. "I hope I can become like her then."

"You will, your highness. You will. Stories about you have already spread across the kingdom."

"You don't have to humor me Valin, you know as well as I do how ridiculous some of those stories are."

Valin smiled. "Well, I suppose the stories are a bit…exaggerated, but all the same, the people think well of your highness."

"I don't know." Emilia walked away from the bush, basket now full of berries. "After all, how many of my subjects have actually seen me?"

"That…is true. But your highness is still young in years. Not even quite fifteen yet. There will still be plenty of opportunities to address your subjects." Valin followed behind.

"Even so, it will just be about my _beauty_." Emilia quickened her pace. "Being beautiful, if true, of course, is wonderful. But…"

"What is it that is bothering you, princess?" Valin caught up to her.

The stone towers of the castle started to show in the background, as the trees faded away. Emilia stayed silent, until a well-treaded road appeared. Valin stayed silent as well, following a few steps behind, giving Emilia room.

"Mother wished for me to have skin as white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. And I suppose I received the first two. But…" Emilia turned towards Valin, looking him directly in the eye. "I don't think it was my hair that received the end of that wish."

"Princess, what…"

"The Queen, my aunt, avoids me whenever possible. My father does not shun me, but never truly looks at me. He always has a glazed look in his eyes, and his words towards me are always devoid of any emotion. The servants, although they praise my beauty, echo the same hollow phrases."

"Well your highness, I don't think that's really a fault of your own. It's just that the situation is complicated…"

"But that is not the point. It is that, when any of that happens, I get angry. Extremely angry. And it is not just the type of anger that is waiting to burst out, although there is some of that, but one that is seething inside, a cold, calculating anger that wishes harm upon others, one that causes me to cease feeling sympathy towards other people. I…I think I have a heart that is as dark and black as a bottomless pit."

A warm hand on her shoulders stopped her. Emilia's eyes grew wide in surprise, full of emotion for the first time in many days. She looked up in question, dazed at the action.

"Dear princess, I don't see a person with a dark heart in front of me. I just see someone lost, confused due to the circumstances placed before her." Valin stepped back and bowed. "I apologize your highness, for being so forward, but that is how I see it, and I believe, that is something the late queen would have said as well."

Emilia continued to stare. Then without warning, a smile appeared, one that reached far into her eyes. "Thank you for your words, Valin." She then handed over the berry-filled basket in her hand. "These were for you by the way."

Valin waved a hand in front. "Oh no, your highness. I couldn't possibly…"

"It is not as if I could do anything with them. I doubt that the cooks would actually serve them to me. I had planned to give them to you from the beginning." Emilia grabbed Valin's hand and placed the basket in it. Then she continued forward, before Valin could protest.

Valin stared at the basket, and then at Emilia, back and forth a few times. His eyes lowered, as if debating about an important matter. Then, as if he made a decision, he rushed over to Emilia, who had already gone a distance.

"Princess. I would like to give you something in return."

"And what would that be?"

"It's something the late queen left in my care for me to give to you once you became older. I had planned to give your highness the item a bit later on, but I believe this is as good of a time as any."

Emilia kept walking, until they reached the castle gates. Then she whispered softly, just enough for Valin to hear.

"Yes. I would like that."

* * *

_Mother left this for me_…

Emilia turned the pages of the book until coming to the place she last left off. The pages she had read were rather confusing. Yet she couldn't help but continue reading. It felt as if every time she opened the book, her mother was there, speaking to her. Seemed a bit ridiculous, but it did not matter to her. She had no memories of her mother, due to her mother passing away shortly after childbirth. So she was going to gather anything she could. And if for some reason it felt as if her mother was actually speaking to her, she was going to enjoy every moment.

"I take it you have looked through the spells if you had come this far."

"Is…is that what it was?" Emilia flipped back a few pages and then returned. "But, why would…" Her eyes grew wide. "Were you a magic user mother?"

"Quite the sorceress. But more on that rather on. What's important now isn't the past, but what is going to occur. One that puts you in danger."

"Is that why you left this book, mother? What is going to happen? What danger?"

Having reached the end, Emilia turned the page, her hand trembling slightly in anticipation and fear.

"Your father, the King, will try to bring me back from the dead. At the cost of your life."

* * *

A/N: When I first wrote this chapter, I didn't like how it turned out (hence the delay in uploading it). I'm still not 100% happy with it even after the changes, but it has gotten better, and I felt that I delayed it long enough.

Since the basic introductions are done with this chapter, I guess the questions remaining are, what will happen with Evaine and the boy she found (I think it's not too hard to guess who he is), and how will Emilia deal with this new information that will put her in danger? And of course, the overall "why" questions.

Evaine. Emilia. The two give off very different impressions (or at least I hope). Yet, the two have a lot of similarities...which will able them to become LeBlanc.

Speaking of the future chapter, the next update will be...a bit delayed. ETA around middle/late June?

Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated.


	4. Chapter 3: Jerran

**Chapter 3: Jerran**

"Is he still in the study?" Evaine jumped off her bed, as Rosaine bounced into the room.

"Yup, still there." Rosaine shrugged, as she plopped next to Evaine onto a pillow.

"When is he going to leave? I have to put this book back before mother notices that it's missing." Evaine grabbed the book and swung it around as if to throw it, shook her head, and dropped it onto the bed instead.

"Maybe you can sneak in and out quietly and no one would notice."

"And what if I get caught? Not only will I be in trouble for taking the book, but for being in the same room as him. I'm in enough trouble as it is." Evaine buried her head into a pillow and started sighing into it. She then turned around, staring aimlessly into the void.

"Um…no one told you to sneak out of the house…" Rosaine stopped, seeing Evaine's glare.

"Well if I didn't, we probably wouldn't have found him, and he could have died for all I know."

"Um…he seemed to have gotten better in a few days. It probably wasn't that serious…ouch!" Rosaine reaped away as Evaine pulled on a curl. "Why are you being so mean to me? I'm just telling the truth!"

"You're just saying things to get me mad." Evaine pointed at Rosaine.

"No I'm not. You're just being mean to me. I try helping you by spying in on the study and come up with ways to put the book back, but you're just being mean." Rosaine crossed her arms.

Evaine sighed. _This is really annoying. Why did he have to show up and ruin everything? Sure, it is nice that there is something new going on, but he's being so bothersome. And I still don't know anything about him! Why do I have to stay away from him?_

"Fine, just ignore me. I'm leaving." Rosaine huffed, and headed towards the door. Evaine ran after her.

"Wait Rosaine, I'm sorry. It's just that..." Evaine rushed towards the drawers next to the bed. Having rummaged through them, she took out a small box. "Here, I'm sorry. Have these chocolates. It's just that… He keeps getting in the way of everything, and I can't even go up to him and say what I want!"

Rosaine shook her head. "Um…well, I can't help you with that. You have to find a way on your own." With that, Rosaine walked away. However, a few moments later, she returned, and with a sheepish smile, grabbed the chocolate box and rushed out of the room.

Evaine rolled her eyes. _Sisters_.

Sighing, Evaine fell backwards onto her bed, eyes staring into the blank ceiling. She was going to get in trouble no matter what she did today. _So this is what I get for wanting something exciting to happen._ _Why do I keep digging myself into a hole?_

"So what am I going to do?"

* * *

Jerran lowered the book as he sensed movement near the door. Yet when his eyes looked towards the direction, nothing seemed to be there. _This is the fourth time today._ _I hope they make up their mind_.

It had been rather peaceful since he arrived at this place. He had been confused, finding himself on a soft bed, when the last thing he remembered were rows and rows of saw grass and the pain on his shoulder. He had tensed up when people entered, but as soon as they bowed, he relaxed. They knew who he was.

He took a glance at his left shoulder, which looked normal enough, except for the bandages wrapping around it. Yet for those that knew how and where to look, they would be able to find the mark, hidden away by magic. The mark of one that carried the royal blood of Noxus.

It was a bit ironic. Noxus hasn't had a king for hundreds of years, ever since the coup by Boram Darkwill. Many of the aristocracy died that day. Out of those who were left, a few joined Darkwill, others fled, and a small minority hid in the undergrounds of the city, biding time. It happened all so long ago. Yet even now, there were people holding onto the notion that one day the monarchy would rise again. Hence, even though he did not have much— no secret army, no vast amounts of wealth— people still treated him with reverence. _Some even call me prince. As if a king still exists._ _All because I happen to be a descendant of some ruler long ago. And no, I'm not going to bring the monarchy back. If my ancestors couldn't do it all these years, it's not going to change now._

He didn't even know where his family was. The last time he saw his brothers were years ago before they separated. They were probably alive, since if they died, news would travel fast, at the very least as Noxian propaganda. As much as time had passed, the Noxian High Command still tried to keep track. Hence the occasional attacks when they were found, which caused him to be where he was now.

_So I suppose this royal treatment has its price. But it's not something I can change, so I'll just reap the benefits of it as much as possible, while staying alive. Although…the people I'm currently with don't seem too keen on having me stay, and monitor my movements to keep my presence as much of a secret as possible. Smarter than most, I say. _

With that, Jerran turned his attention back to his book, when he noticed that the door had opened, and a small figure passed by quickly. A girl, about his age, maybe a little bit younger, rushed somewhere with a book in her arm.

_Well, this might be interesting._

* * *

"I would like to have the door closed."

Evaine jumped, hearing the voice call after her. She had rushed inside the study, placed the book back into the correct shelf, and planned to rush out again before anyone noticed. _Should I just ignore him? I'm not supposed to talk to him_.

She rushed past, deciding to ignore him, when she couldn't help but steal a quick glance. The muddied, disheveled boy she found in the marshes was replaced by a person with well-groomed dark hair resting above his shoulders, looking on with angular green eyes that locked straight into hers. The corner of his mouth stretched in an upward arc that grew bigger and bigger.

"It's not proper to stare." He motioned towards the chair in front of him. "Well, did you want to talk to me?"

Evaine continued to stay still.

"Will you be in trouble if you talk to me? Is that why?" He shrugged. "I do understand the precaution, so if…"

"You have a funny expression."

The boy drew back, his mouth open wide, as if waiting for words to escape his mouth. The next moment he leaned forward, a laugh escaping his throat, filling the study. "Funny expression you say? How so?"

"One side of your face is all scrunched up. Is it itching? I mean, why else would you greet someone with that expression?"

The boy continued to chuckle. "Maybe."

Evaine furrowed her brows. _He is rather…annoying. Is he making fun of me? Well then, forget it. I wasn't supposed to talk to him in the first place anyway._

"Well then, goodbye." Evaine started towards the door.

"What is your name?"

_Why is he still talking to me?_ "Why do you want to know?"

"It is better to call someone by her name when you're talking to her, don't you think?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to you."

"It's a bit too late for that."

Evaine sighed. _Well, that is true._ "Evaine. My name is Evaine."

"Evaine, I see. That's a nice name."

"Thank you. So what's yours?"

The boy grabbed a piece of paper from the side and scribbled on it. "Here."

Evaine grabbed the paper, curious as to why the boy had to write it out. She looked at it, and frowned. "J? Just J?"

"That's what you can call me." The boy leaned back, arms crossed.

"That's obviously not your name. What is it? Justus? Jayden? Jaxis? Jericho?"

"You can keep guessing, but it doesn't mean I'm going to respond."

"That's not fair! I told you my name." Evaine glared straight into the boy's eyes, hoping to unnerve him into giving in.

"And J is what I want to be called. I'm actually helping you out. You're not supposed to talk to me, right? So the better it is for you to know as little about me as possible."

Evaine's hands clutched into fists. She didn't know how to react. What he was saying was true. But he baited her into talking to him in the first place. And now he was acting as if he cared about her best interests. _Toying with me. Well I'm not going to let him._

"Find someone else to toy with!" Evaine threw the piece of paper back at the boy, and stomped out the door, not bothering to look back. Reaching her room, she slammed the door and jumped into her bed.

"Who does he think he is?"

* * *

A/N: I cut the chapter in half, since I'm struggling with a writer's block and wouldn't be able to finish the whole chapter by the end of June. I could have just kept on writing and release everything at a much later date, but since I did say that I would update at least by the end of June, I decided to post the above part now. More Emilia and a little bit of Evaine in the next update.

Reviews, of course, are always appreciated :)


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